


Come Back To Me

by sweaterpawnoctis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Reoccurring Death, Sick Zayn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 22:02:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2126157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweaterpawnoctis/pseuds/sweaterpawnoctis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn makes a deal that makes him watch Louis die over and over again until they can fall in love again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Back To Me

It was early December in 1791 when he found himself pulling on his coat sleeves as he tried to work up the courage to knock on the door in front of him. London was freezing while the frosty snow fell and coated the stone walkways of the city. It was late and rather dark and yet shops were still open and people bustled around in order to find that perfect gift for their special someone because it’s two weeks until Christmas. Two weeks from his own loved one’s birthday and he had to get something that would make those blue eyes shine and his smile beam.

But he couldn’t do that if he had been doom to pass before such an event were to be held.

It took him a long while to think over his decision about what he was doing then, but it all had come down to the same conclusion; he had no choice and with that thought in mind, he had raised his hand and knocked loudly against the dark oak door in front of him. At first, he had thought that maybe he had gotten this all wrong when there hadn’t been an answer right away and he was just about to turn and make his way back home when the door had suddenly opened and exposed a glowing purple-flamed candle.

"Come in, come in, Zayn Malik." A female voice had called and it sent shivers down his spine because how had it known his name? How had the door even opened without a person on the other side? That’s when he noticed there hadn’t even been a handle on the door. Though, all those thoughts hadn’t stopped twenty-three year old Zayn from walking inside the door and letting it shut behind him. "Come sit. We have much to discuss."

—-

The first time is the hardest.

It kills him to see Louis flirt with some blonde and twirl his fingers in her curls. To watch him place a hand on her thigh and rub it with his thumb soothingly as she giggles and places her head on his shoulder. He nudges her temple with his nose and whispers cute things into her ear that makes her blush and hide her face in his neck. They’re at a park of sorts, just sitting on a bench and watching their daughter jump around and play some sort of children’s game with a little boy.

He looks happy and Zayn can’t stand it because Louis doesn’t belong with her. He belongs with the raven-haired boy till the end of time and then some. Those cerulean eyes are his and that tummy is his. That laugh, that smile, that mischievous look, it is all Zayn’s, but then again, it isn’t. He doesn’t get to hold Louis or tell him he loves him. He just gets to watch from afar and hold the engagement ring in his coat pocket while wishing Louis would see him.

The first birthday is the hardest as his eyes stay focused on his lover’s form getting up and walking down the little boy to buy a white rose for the blonde on the bench. It’s then that someone tries to still something from the couple’s daughter and Louis is fast on his feet to grab and protect her. He turns her around and covers her with his much bigger form just as a knife plunges into his back, straight into his heart.

Louis collapses and as the daughter cries and the woman screams for help, Zayn turns away and walks down the path he had come up and disappears into the shadows once more. He keeps his face straight and his head high until he is covered and immediately the tears hit and stream down his cheeks.

—-

"You want something, I assume, yes?" The voice had asked as Zayn moved to sit in the only available chair in the room. It was dark, except for the violet flame that had only spread to cover light over the table. He couldn’t see anyone because of how dark it had been, but he had felt the gaze that bore into his back that had made him fidget and grow anxious. "Speak up, boy. I haven’t got all day and by the sound of your heartbeat, neither do you."

"I was told you could help me." Zayn had whispered, gulping for a moment before sucking in a deep and calming breath. "You see.. I’ve grown sick and the doctors can’t help me, but I’m not.. I’m not ready to die. I’m-"

"Young and in love, are you not?" It had asked again and Zayn could only look down with a small blush as he thought of his boy.

"Yes."

—-

The second time, it’s no easier, but he thinks he’s prepared.

He watches Louis grow up and learn to become a normal human who participates in society. This time, he’s a prince of France. Gorgeous as ever and sophisticated to no end. He’s loyal to his country and he’s engaged to some British princess. He’s up to be king as his father is on his deathbed and he’s all noble and it makes Zayn proud to say Louis is his.

Because although he doesn’t get the boy, inside he knows that Louis belongs to him still. He knows because the tie is still there. That connection between the two boys is still around them and when Zayn ‘casually’ bumps into the older boy on occasion, Louis gets a look of unknown nostalgia and Zayn sees it. He sees the confusion from the love that’s under it, but he’s always gone before he can be asked about it.

That time on his birthday, it’s while Louis is making a speech, announcing his engagement to the princess for peace between their countries that an arrow is shot and pierces his heart. The queen rushes to his side as the king orders his men to find the culprit, but it’s already too late. They won’t find him because Zayn is once again slipping into the shadows.

Prince Louis Tomlinson’s assassination stays a mystery to the world even past the future.

—-

"He must be very dear to you if you’ve come to see me." This time, a woman with long black, hair that puts his own to shame, had come out and placed herself in front of the boy. She had beading green eyes and long slim fingers. Her skin had been so cream-colored it looked like one of the canvas that Zayn had used from time to time when painting for money.

"He’s everything to me, which is why I’m so desperate for your help." Zayn had explained, looking up at the woman and she had been beautiful, young though, no older than Zayn himself, if that.

"There is something I can do for you, yes, but you have to be willing in all ways and you must have faith or it will not work." She had scolded softly, waving her finger at the boy as though he had done something she hadn’t approved of. Which he probably did because he was more than skeptical of this, but as he said; he was desperate.

"Anything." Was what he had gone with and he had almost backed out when the witch smirked and waved her hand over the table to make a symbol appear that had been engraved into the wood.

"That is a very dangerous word to offer up, young Malik." She had taunted carefully and Zayn swallowed thickly at it because it had almost sounded like a threat.

Later, he’ll realize it was once he didn’t do as he was suppose to.

—-

It’s 1866 when Zayn finds Louis for a third time.

He doesn’t watch the boy grow up this time and instead kills his time at pubs and shows because he has notes coming out of his arse from the pub he actually owns himself in Bradford, his hometown. He had gotten it with the money he had, had from selling his paintings and what did he know? People actually had liked his work.

He finds him in Scotland and he’s the son of a baker. He works hard and has muscles from delivery and unloading. He looks more rough around the edges and he doesn’t look as happy this time, but his eyes and smile are still just the same and it makes his heart burst with love and affection for his lover.

There’s no girl this time, which leads to Zayn actually allowing himself to be close with the boy once he is nearing the deadline. They joke and tease while spending nights in the meadows while staring at the stars and talking about things such as God and faith.

Faith.

That birthday Zayn spends with Louis and they’re close and snuggled up onto hah covered by a thick fleece. He’s brought a drink and they hiccup and giggle together and Zayn almost forgets where he is and leans into Louis to kiss him before pulling back, because he can’t. That had made Louis pout though and lean back in. “I won’t tell if you don’t.” He whispers and Zayn smiles before the boy’s face starts to go pale and his hand flies over his heart as his eyes went wide. Turns out the drink had been poisoned and Zayn was forced to watch his loved one die in his arms.

He doesn’t get close after that.

—-

"I’ll need the heart of the one you love most." She had said to Zayn, way to casual for the the to take it as anything but serious. He had nearly choked on his own breathing as he stared at the woman with an incredible look.

"The point of this was to stay with him. To live and love with him and you want me to cut his heart out?" Zayn had asked with anger, but it was laced in nothing but pure panic and terror. He had went to stand up, but was only shoved back down by some invisible force.

"I told you one must have faith or else this wouldn’t work. You and you lover will live in peace and harmony for as long as you two may choose. All you have to do if give me his heart." She had said firmly after she placed her hands on the table and lit the outline of the symbol with blue flame which had made Zayn jump back with wider eyes. "It’s not so hard, boy. Just take this dagger and cut it out, but do not, under any circumstances, puncture the organ itself."

He hadn’t punctured the heart he had given her, but it wasn’t Louis’ either.

—-

It’s the first a hundredth mark that Zayn starts losing his mind from the loneliness and desire from Louis.

Louis is still beautiful as he rounds up the horses and brings them to the stables for the noble men. He’s dirty and uneducated to a certain extent, but he is just as lovely as always. There’s a boy this time, one that gives Zayn hope because maybe things are staring to look up. He’s got curly hair and this bright green eyes that make him think of the witch from so long ago.

They plan to run off after Louis’ father hits him and the taller boy seems to take things into his own hands. However, when the boy doesn’t come back for days as Louis’ birthday nears, the blue-eyed starts to grow nervous as he watches the roads and woods for his temporary lover to come back.

When he does come back though, Louis runs into his arms and the curly-haired boy picks him up to swing him while pecking his neck and shoulders. He places him down once more and grabs his cheeks to pull him into a kiss so full of love that Zayn actually has to turn away because of how bad it burns. When he looks again, the boy is whispering something into Louis’ ear and is pulling out cash from his trouser pockets.

It’s Louis’ birthday and he’s spending it planning on runaway with the boy in front of him when there’s a gunshot that rings through the air just as a bullet lodges itself into Louis’ heart through his back and he falls into the awaiting arms of the boy who loved him enough to take him away.

However, what’s different this time, is that Louis actually catches the amber-eyed boy’s gaze as he dies, unlike the last time, and holds it until his blue ones flutter shut, sending a spark through his system as he shuddered from the sting.

He doesn’t stick around to see what happens next, but he hears the yelling and another fire go off before he’s gone into the woods to start again.

—-

Zayn had been able to breath again clearly, only for a moment though, when the ritual had been done. However, moments later his heartbeat faded and died off, making him panic and hold onto his chest in fear that he was finally dying, except he wasn’t. His tan skin had brightened back up and his cheeks had become fuller once more. He could walk without feeling woozy and could hold a grip, making him grin in pleasure.

"It worked." Zayn had said in amazement as he looked from his arms to the witch and was met with a cold-stone glare.

"Yes, but you have cheated me, Zayn Malik, which means I must cheat you back." She had said deviously and had Zayn needed breathing still, he would have stopped. But than he realized his breath had in fact stopped and that wasn’t part of the plan.

"Wait— Why am I not breathing? You were suppose to heal me! Not kill me!" He had shouted as the worry set in again because how had he been suppose to explain this to his lover who fell asleep on his chest each night?

"But I have healed you. You won’t die, as you wished, but you brought me the heart of some poor soul that did not belong to your lover and now you will both suffer." She had said with an evil smile and Zayn had almost thrown up right there.

"H-How could I have killed him? This was for him! I love him! I could have never harmed h-"

"Had you of had faith in me, you both would be immortal now. Living as those you wanted to be, but you didn’t." She had replied calmly, throwing Zayn off again as he quieted down.

"W-What will do you?" He had asked hesitantly after some time, biting his lip nervously as the woman rounded the table to stand in front of him. She had placed a finger under his chin and lifted it before hovering her lips over his.

"Every twenty-four years you are to watch your lover fall in love with someone else and on his twenty-fifth birthday, he shall die in front of you for the treason you have committed against me." She had murmured into him and the tears were instant when he heard her words because he had just signed Louis’ death certificate. All for being in love and not being able to kill him. "However, there is a way to end it." She had smiled sweetly, almost too sweetly, as she pulled away for a moment. "If you can manage to make him fall in love with you that way you love him and have him kiss you before his twenty-fifth birthday, he will come back to you. Though, heed my warning, Zayn Malik, you are not to tell him who he or you are and you mustn’t tell him about the past or he will die forever."

Zayn had rushed home after that, only to find Louis dead in their bed with a book on his chest.

—-

Zayn doesn’t see Louis for three more deaths in fear that he’ll feel what he did last time.

—-

It’s 1991 in Leeds when he tries again.

Louis is a posh boy with an attitude that doesn’t sit well with Zayn, but he’s desperate to try because he’s wearing thin without his smaller lover. His boy is sleeping around and sneaking out. He drinks and parties with countless boys and girls and he’s always in the papers. He’s arrogant and rude, completely stood up and a snob, but he’s still has those glowing blue eyes and dazzling smile.

It doesn’t work at first; getting his attention. Louis is charming and slick and has everyone’s attention, but doesn’t focus on any one particular person. Not for long periods of time, anyway. But eventually, Zayn seems to strike something of Louis’ interest because one night in a pub, he comes around and curls his arm across the small of Zayn’s back and leans into his ear with a “you’re mine tonight.. and possibly longer.”

They don’t kiss, because it’s not love and Louis actually seems to have a thing for keeping kisses for intimate loved ones. Which Zayn is all fine for in the end while Louis pushes into him and fucks him hard against the mattress. They spend the entire night together and somewhere in the middle of the night, Louis’ box in his chest stops beating from his heart condition he didn’t know he had and passes in the dark.

"Next time I’ll get it right or I won’t continue." Zayn promises as he presses his lips to Louis’ forehead and slips away into the shadows for the last time.

—-

When Louis is reborn that year, moments after his last death, Zayn doesn’t search for and follow him. Instead he decides to have faith that his lover will come to him.

And he does.

—-

It’s December 24th, 2013 in London and Zayn finds that this has to be fate. It’s been over two hundred years and he’s back to where it all started.

Louis is turning twenty-two at a masquerade party his friends are throwing for him. One that suspiciously looks like the boy from 1891, but he as close as he seems to be with Louis, he is pretty occupied with kissing up and down some blonde boy’s neck while their puppy-eyed friend rolls his eyes at them and keeps his arm around some brunette.

He hadn’t even know this was Louis’ party. He had been slipped an invitation while passing some Uni he was thinking of killing time at and decided it was a good distraction. His outfit is standard; black, slim slacks, white button down that’s rolled up to his elbows, showing off his tattoos he’s decided to get, with a black tie. His mask is actually painted onto his face with coal and glitter black outlining his lashes and malt whiskey colored eyes.

He doesn’t notice him at first, but Louis is about in the same outfit, except he has a black blazer over his shirt and his tie is red, but his mask it black also. The outlining of it is a shimmery red with purple undertones. There are blue and purple feathers, much like the witches flames, at the top corner of his mask. But it’s the black around the inner edges of where his eyes gaze through that make those cerulean eyes pop and Zayn falls in love all over again.

"Come dance with me." Louis cheers, grabbing onto Zayn’s hands and starting to pull him towards the dance floor while walking backwards. However, the raven-haired boy chuckles and shakes his head in response before stopping.

"I don’t dance, love." He says softly as he let’s one hand slip from Louis’, but the older boy holds on tighter to the one he has left.

"But you’ll dance with me. I’m the birthday boy." Louis smirks charmingly and reluctantly, Zayn follows the smaller boy into the middle of the dance floor.

There’s some party songs and some down and dirty songs, all of which Louis took a point to grinding back his bum into Zayn’s crotch and well, the wiggle of Louis’ eyebrows is enough to tell the taller boy that Louis knows what he’s doing and it’s intentional. Though, eventually a soft song comes on and where Zayn was completely content with slipping away and letting Louis find whoever it was he is in love with this time, the small boy grabs Zayn’s hand again and leads it to rest on Louis’ hip.

"Going to cheat me out of a slow dance, Mr. Dark and Handsome?" Louis says teasingly before curling his arms around Zayn’s neck and waiting for the taller boy to place his other hand on Louis’ free hip.

"Of course not." Zayn smiles, causing Louis to hum and nod in response. They’re quiet after that, for a few songs at least, and it’s still slow and lazy around them until Louis looks up with pure wonder in his eyes.

"I know you."

"But you don’t." Zayn mumbles, but Louis only shakes his head in response.

"But I do. I’ve met you in those.. ‘other live’ scenarios, haven’t I?" He asks naïvely, so much like his own Louis back in 1791.

"If you had, how would I know?" Zayn laughed quietly before biting his lip.

"I suppose you wouldn’t, would you?" Louis hums as he stopped their movements, but didn’t pull away. "You love me." He says bluntly after and Zayn goes to yank his hands back in shock, but the older boy only tightens his hold around his neck and threads his fingers through the ink colored hair. "It’s not a question, I can see it in your eyes. Just like I know I’ve seen you, or at least you’ve seen me, because I see the recognition in your eyes also. You know exactly who I am and you love me, don’t you?" He asks, leaning up and looking at Zayn with the most adorable and curious gaze he’s ever seen in a person.

"I’ve loved you for a long time, Louis Tomlinson." Zayn admits and technically, it’s not breaking the rules because Louis figured it out. He brings a hand to cup the smaller boy’s cheek, watching him lean into it and let his eyes flutter shut, making his heart swell.

"Then I’m glad you’re found me." He whispers before opening his eyes and leaning up to press his lips against Zayn’s and it’s there, that spark, but this time, it burns in all the right ways and he kisses back until Louis pulls away and smiles with his eyes still closed. It takes him a moment and Zayn stays completely silence until the blue eyes open again.

"Louis, I-" He tries before Louis’ lips part to give a gentle-

"Zayn. My Zayn."

—- 

It’s 2016 that finds Louis sitting in Zayn’s lap drinking tea while Harry and Niall rough house on their floor and Liam is reading a book that talks about some weird biological warfare of the old times. There’s only five more minutes to Christmas and Zayn had begged them all to stay up with him to ‘spend the first minute of Christmas together,’ to which everyone agree with a compromise of everyone gets to stay the night in Louis and Zayn’s flat.

His arms are tight around Louis’ waist in fear that he’ll disappear as he watches the clock go up and the time count down to Louis’ fate. He thinks it must be a good one though since Louis remembers his past lives now and yes, it was Harry that was going to take him away to Boston. They keep that a secret between them and joke with it later when they’re in bed together.

Eventually though, it’s down to the last minute and Louis starts to go lax in Zayn’s arms and immediately the younger boy (Louis refuses to let him be the oldest just because he’s immortal) buries his head into the crook of Louis’ neck from behind and flexes his arms.

"Don’t leave me, Lou. I can’t do this again. I can’t watch you die again. I love you too much to let this go again." He whispers sadly.

"As I love you." Louis smiles as he turns to nudge his nose against Zayn’s, but it isn’t until they kiss that Zayn realizes what’s just happened.

Louis’ heart has stopped completely, but his lips are still moving.

**Author's Note:**

> Come and visit me [here](http://sweaterpawnoctis.tumblr.com)!


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